On Jan. 29, 1988, the Dodgers signed free-agent slugger Kirk Gibson. The team was talented but undisciplined, and the front office wanted a vocal leader in the clubhouse.

Gibson fit the description to a tee. He wound up winning the National League MVP award and leading the Dodgers to a championship in his first season in Los Angeles. The Dodgers haven’t been back to the World Series since.

New Dodgers shortstop Jimmy Rollins was a young Oakland A’s fan in 1988.

“I didn’t like the Dodgers,” Rollins said at his introductory press conference Wednesday, then looked up to see Tommy Lasorda sitting a few feet away.

“Sorry Tommy,” Rollins added.

Ironically, the Dodgers acquired Rollins for largely the same reason they acquired Gibson 27 years ago. The 36-year-old veteran has played 15 seasons in the major leagues, all with the Philadelphia Phillies.

Rollins has spoken openly about his desire to be a clubhouse leader in his first year here, and the organization is encouraging it. Leadership was the first question that came up when he spoke with manager Don Mattingly, Rollins said.

Tuesday, the shortstop referenced pitcher Clayton Kershaw and first baseman Adrian Gonzalez and spoke of being a “third wheel.” He talked about being “the glue that holds everything together,” a role that acknowledges the potential for everything to fall apart.

“It starts with respect first,” Rollins said. “If they respect you they’re going to listen. They’ll figure out if you’re talking a whole bunch of hot air or if what you’re saying makes sense. Hopefully they figure out what I’m saying makes sense.”

Rollins, who was acquired in a three-team trade with the San Diego Padres, also spoke openly about his desire to win another championship. He won his only World Series ring in 2008 after helping to eliminate the Dodgers in a memorable National League Championship Series.

“Jimmy said, ‘I don’t want to go somewhere I could win but I wanted to go somewhere where winning would really mean something.’ I think that attitude is going to be contagious,” Dodgers general manager Farhan Zaidi said. “It’s a reason Jimmy was at the top of our list when we knew we needed a shortstop for next season.”

Also like Gibson, Rollins is more than a leader. He’s a good baseball player with 2,306 career hits on his resumé.

The potential of Rollins and Howie Kendrick manning the middle of the diamond has Zaidi excited, too. Only 20 shortstops in the history of baseball have turned more double plays in their career than Rollins. Kendrick has been a steady second baseman for the Angels the past nine seasons. To be considered an upgrade, all they have to do is turn more ground balls into outs than Hanley Ramirez and Dee Gordon did last season.

This, more than chemistry, was the Dodgers’ offseason objective.

“We were trying to create a team that was better defensively that was kind of geared toward pitching, defense and lineup balance,” Zaidi said. “I think the moves that we made reflected that. Everything we made was primarily driven by the on-field product and the kind of team we were trying to put on the field.”

Still, the chemistry will change. Ramirez and Matt Kemp were often vocal, but not necessarily leaders. Gordon was quiet. Outfielder Yasiel Puig is not quiet, and some believe that reining in his personality will be a key challenge for whoever leads the room in 2015.

Rollins was the longest-tenured Phillie when he was traded, Kendrick the longest-tenured Angel. So both men are used to leading the way for teammates through their words, example or both.

“Nobody can lead just by talking,” Zaidi said. “Even a guy like Jimmy, who is vocal, has accomplished so much in the game, a lot of credibility comes from that, the kind of player he is. It’s certainly fun to have the vocal guy up there in the press conference because he can really carry a room. I think that’s going to help us in the daily grind of the season as well.”

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